Railroad-switch



(No ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. HUNTER.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

No. 396,873. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

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N PETERS. Pholo-Lnhogr-apher. Washi mmmmm V C (No Model.) 3 SheetsVSheet J. HUNTER. RAILROAD SWITGH.

No. 396,873. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

641W BY laum ATTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. HUNTER.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

Patented Jan. 29, 1889 iii:

INVENTOR:

WITNESSES: I

ATTORNEYS.

N4 PEIERS, Phot Lilhogrnphen Waahingmm n. c.

ATENT JOHN HUNTER, OF hIAPLE BAY, MINNESOTA.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,873, dated January 29, 1889.

Application filed March 7, 1888. Serial No. 266,412. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jenn l'lUN-TER, of Naple Bay, in the county of Polk and State of Minnesota, have invented anew and Improved Railroad-Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and :improved railroad-switch, which is very simple and durable in construction, and is automatically operated by the engii'ieer from the cab of the locomotive.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l. isaplan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of part of the same with parts broken out. Fig. 3:) is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on the line n In of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a transverse sectional elevation of the same on the line y 11 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of the free end of the switch-rail and connection. Fig. (3 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the lines it u of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the saddle for the switcha'ail s.

Between the rails A A of the main track are placed the switch-rails B B, each of which is pivoted at one end at B to the railroadtie C, and the free ends of said rails B B are adapted to engage the rails D l") of the side track. The switch-rails B B are connected with each other by suitable stays, B so as to insure a uniform movementof the said switchrails when moving from the main-track rails A to the side rails, I). The free ends of the switch-rails B B are held to slide on suitable saddles, B (shown in Fi 5 and 7,) and serving to limit the movement of the switch-rails.

On the switch-rails B, near their free ends, is secured a transverse rod, E, adapted to be connected at one end with a switch-block of any approved construction. In the middle of the rod E, between the switch-rails B B, is pivotally connected a link, F, held to slide with its other end in a longitudinal slot, G

V parts toward the switclrrails formed on a keeper, i, secured on. the railroad-tie G. Said link F swings with the sidewise movement of the rod E when the switchrails B B are changed from the main rails A to the side rails, D. A spring, F, presses against the inner end of the link F, so as to hold the said link F in a locked position, and when the switch-rails B 3 are shifted from one side to the other then the link F, dividing one-half of the stroke, compresses the spring F, which then. assists the movement of the switch-rails during the last half-stroke in the same manner as it resisted the movement of the. switch-rails in the first halfstroke. The link F thus changes the direction of the pressure of the springF and transinits the pressure through the rod E to the movable suitclrrails, thereby holding the latter in place.

On the under side ol. the rod E and in the middle between the rails B B is formed a rack, E, in which meshes a gear-wheel, ll, secured to a shaft, I, mounted to rotate in suitable bearings secured to the rmder sides of the railroad-ties.

The shaft I extends a suitable distance beyond the pivotal-ends B of the rails B, and is provided with the gear-wheels J J, in the top of which mesh the racks K K, extending transversely of the railroad-track in line with the railroad-ties. Each of the racks K meshes near its outer ends into the gea1:'whecls L L, secured to the shafts N N, respectively, mounted in suitable bearings, 0, located below the ties of the railroad-track. The gearwheels L L and L L are suiiiciently wide to permit the vertical racks P P and P P to engage parts of them, as shown in Fig. 2. The said racks P P and P P extend vertically, and are secured to the plates Q and Q, respectively, mounted to slide in suitable bearings, R, secured to the railroad-ties C, C and C Additional bearings and guides B. may be placed between the bearings R and driven into the ground or otherwise supported. The plates Q and Q, extend on the outside of the main-track rails A A, and are slightly inclined at their upper edges, extending with the raised Q, and Q are provided with slots Q through which pass the outer ends of the racks K K.

The plates The plates Q and Q are so arranged in relation to each other that when one is in its up permost position the other is down, and vice versa.

5 Near the 'front end of the car or locomotive S, adapted to travel over the railroad-switch, is secured a transverse shaft, T, provided with an arm, U, connected by a link, U, with the cab of the locomotive, so that the engineer can turn the said shaft T. On the ends of thelatter are secured the arms V and W, carrying, respectively, the rollers V and IV, adapted to operate on the inclined top edges of the plates Q and Q. The arms V and \V" are so arranged in relation to each other that when one wheel is in its uppermost position the other wheel is down in its lowest position, and vice versa; but both wheels may be raised to be out of contact with either plate. The shaftI is also extended in an opposite direction and connected with a device, as above described, so that the switch-rails are operated on by a train coming in either direction.

The operation is as follows: In the position shown in Fig. 1 the switch-rails I make the main track A continuous; but when the switch-rails are in the position shown in dotted lines in the said figure they connect with the side rails, D. The plate Q is then in its 0 uppermost position and the other plate, Q, is in its lowermost position. Now, when a train arrives in the direction of the arrow o and the engineer desires to go on the main track A A, he throws the shaft T into the position 3 5 shown in Fig. 3, so that the roller V is in its lowermost position and engages the top inclined edge of the raised plate Q, the other plate, Q, being in its lowermost position, as above described. \Vhen the front end of the locomotive passes over the rails A, near the plates Q and Q, the roller V, now on the top edge of the plate Q, depresses the latter, whereby the racks P engage the gear-wheels L and impart a rotary motion to the latter and 5 to the shaft N, so that the racks K K are moved sidewise, thereby rotating the gearwheels J J, secured to the shaft I. As the latter is then also rotated, it imparts by means of its gear-wheel II at the opposite end a sidewise sliding motion to the rod E, whereby the rails 13 B are swung on their pivots B, so as to disconnect them at their free ends from the side rails, D D, and connect them with the ends of the main-track rails A A. The sidewise motion of the rails B is limited by the saddles B above described. It will be seen that by the sidewise sliding motion of the racks K K the gearwheels L L are rotated and impart an upward sliding motion. to the racks P B, thereby raising the plate Q. lVhen the next following train arrives in the direction of the arrow a, and the engineer desires to go on the side-track rails D D, he operates the link U and arm U in such a manner that the shaft T throws the roller down, and the other roller consequently rises. hen the forward part of the locomotive travels over the rails A, near the plates Q and Q, the roller IV engages the raised plate Q and depresses the latter,'whereby rotary motion is imparted to the shaft I in an opposite direction from that Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In. a railroad-switch, the combination, with the switch-rails pivoted at one end and having a rack connecting their free ends, of a longitiuliually-extending rock-shaft having a gear engaging said rack, inclined verticallymovable plates mounted outside of the main rails and connected with said operating-shaft tor rocking it in opposite directions, a link pivotally connected with the said rack, a fixed bracket having a slot receiving said link and a spring bearing against the front end of said link.

2. In a railroad-switch, the combination, with two plates having inclined top edges and arranged to slide vertically in opposite directions, of vertical racks formed on the said plates, gear-wheels meshing into the said vertical racks, and horizontal transverse racks meshing into the said gear-wheels, so that when one plate is depressed the other rises, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a railroad-switch, the combination, with two plates having inclined top edges and adapted-to slide vertically in opposite directions, of vertical racks formed on the said plates, gear-wheels meshing into the said vertical racks, horizontal transverse racks meshing into the said gear-wheels, a second set of gear-wheels meshing into the said horizontal racks, and a sha tt carrying the said second set of gear-wheels and connected with the free ends of the pivoted switelrrails, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a railroad-switch, the combination, with two plates having inclined top edges and adapted to slide vertically in opposite directions, being operated from the cab of the 10- comotive, of vertical. racks formed on the said plates, gear-wheels meshing into the said vertical racks, horizontal transverse racks meshing into the said gear-wheels, and a second set of gear-wheels meshing into the said horizontal racks, a shaft carrying the second set of gear-wheels and also provided at its oppo-.

site on d with a gear-wheel, a rod having a rack meshing into the gear-wheel at the end of the said shaft, and pivoted switch-rails carrying IIO at their free ends said rodhaving a rack, subfor holding the said link in position substanstantially as shown and described. tially as shown and described.

5. In a railroad-switch, the combination, T Q A T r w I with plvoted switch-rails, of a rod seemed to T\ O B 1 ER 5 the free end of the said .pivoted switch-rails, \Vitnesses:

a link connected with the said rod, a keeper JOHN CROMB,

in which the said link pivoted, and a spring H. M. PIERCE. 

